The present invention relates to a remote-controlled device for accommodating bending an elongated object such as an electric cable, optical fiber cable, and wire.
It is common, as is the case with a gastrocamera, to provide a bending device in the proximity of the camera unit of a fiberscope, and to operate the device from the image-receiving unit so as to bend the camera unit to desired directions. Such a prior art device is shown in FIG. 1, in which a set of links 2 are pivotally connected to one another by means of pins 3 so as to form a flexible ligament extending from a camera unit 1. A pair of wires 4 extend through the links 2 symmetrically with respect to the pins 3. One end of each wire 4 is secured to the camera unit 1, while the other end is wound round a pulley 5 provided on the image-receiving unit. The camera unit 1 can be bent in different directions by turning the pulley 5 with a handle 6.
The above-described prior art device has a disadvantage that the bending angle is limited because the wires 4 stretch and undergo frictional resistance. Especially, the larger the distance from the control unit, the more difficult it is to transmit the movement of each wire from one end thereof to the other.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote-controlled bending device which obviates such a disadvantage.